Automobile bumper guard for vehicle jacks



June 5, 1951 F. W. SLACK AUTOMOBILE BUMPER GUARD. FOR VEHICLE JACKSFiled Feb. 14', 1946 :s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. flair/z #4 5246/ June5, 1951 F. w. SLACK AUTOMOBILE BUMPER GUARD FOR vsuxcu-x .mcxs

Filed Feb. 14, 1946 3 Sh'a'tS-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. fiads'zz c W 52244.

J1me 195] F.'w. SLACK 2,556,006

AUTOMOBILE BUMPER GUARD For: vmucu: JACKS Filed Feb. 14, 1946 3Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN TOR.

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Patented June 5, 1951 AUTOMOBILE BUMPER GUARD FOR VEHICLE JACKS FredericW. Slack, Detroit, Mich., asslgnor to Chrysler Corporation, HighlandPark, Mich., a

corporation of Delaware Application February 14, 1946, Serial No.647,613

1 Claim.

This invention relates to means for jacking an automobile and moreparticularly the combination of a jack with a cooperating elementprovided in the bumper bar or bumper guard construction.

The trend of automobile design to lower the center of gravity and extendthe body and fenders to overhang the chassis has rendered impracticalthe old type of automobile jack which was designed to be placed underthe chassis. The current use on automobiles of stone shields which coverthe aperture between the bumper bar and automobile body has madeunfeasible the use of jacks designed to engage the bumper supports.

It is an object of my invention to provide a jack adapted to engage acooperating element provided in the bumper bar or the bumper guard. Withmy invention there will be required no expensive attachments thatrequire manipulation or could be lost. The novel construction of thebumper member and jack themselves will include the mating supportdevices.

It is a further object of my invention to eliminate the manufacture ofadditional parts to be assembled with the bumper members or jack.

The jacking of an automobile by lifting the sprung part of its structure(usually one corner thereof) introduces lateral forces on the jack.There is a tendency for the supported surface to slip relative to thelifting surface of the jack. Frequently, the vehicle slips completelyoff the jack .and damages itself or injures the person attempting tooperate the jack.

A further object of my invention is to prevent the vehicle from slippingby the cooperation of the unique bumper member the jack.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the application of the jack to thebumper guard of an automobile.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical view of a cooperating bumper guard and jack withportions thereof broken away.

Fig. 4. is a horizontal view of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical side view of a bumper guard with a portion thereofbroken away to show th cooperating element.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the application of a jack to thebumper bar in a modified form of my invention.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line of Fig. 6.

' Referring now in detail to the drawings in Fig. l, I have shown anautomobile in havin a bumper bar II and bumper guards l2 and 13. Theautomobile bumper as described herein consists of a horizontal bumperbar and vertical bumper guards. A bumper member may be either.

construction with i a bumper bar or a bumper guard. The construction ofthese bumper guards is similar, but for simplicity, only bumper guard I2will be referred to herein. In addition, similar bumper guards will beprovided as components of the front bumper of the automobile, althoughonly the rear bumper has been illustrated.

The bumper bars and guards define theterminal transverse boundary of thevehicle at each end thereof and by providing means therein to cooperatewith a vehicle jack free access to the most exposed portion of thevehicle is available.

In Figs. 3 and 4 bumper guard I2 is shown fixed to bumper bar II by theengagement with bolt I4 of lateral member I5 welded or otherwise securedto the bumper guard. Bolt I4 is fastened to bumper bar II as by nut l6.As illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and 5 the bumper guard comprises a hollowshell and a strengthening memberll which is provided in abuttingrelationship with the base of the guard 12.

With the exception of the means provided for the engagement of the jackwith the bumper member, the jacks construction and lifting mechanism maybe varied. The jack illustrated will be described herein.

Jack 20 comprises a base plate 2| supporting a vertical rod 22 providedwith a serrated face at 23, housing 24 containing the jack mechanism andencompassing rod 22, laterally extending arm 25, adapted to engage andlift the vehicle, actuating lever 26 and handle 21.

The jack mechanism is substantially enclosed in housing 24 and includespin 34 rotatably connecting operating lever 26 to housing 24. Pawl 35 issuspended from pin 34. Pin 31 rctatably connects operating lever 26 andpawl 38, but is not connected to housing 24. Pawls 35 and 38 areprovided with pins [8 and 19 respectively to which spring 3| isfastened.

Selector 30 is pivotally mounted at 23 on th housing 24 and adapted toselectively engage or disengage spring 3| when rotated. When selector 30is in the position illustrated in solid lines in Fig, 3 the projection33 of selector 30 contacts spring 3| and hows it to the left asillustrated. Under these conditions the mechanism will lift housing 24relative to rod 22 when actuating lever 26 is reciprocated in a verticalplane. When selector 30 is rotated counter-clockwise to the positionshown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 the spring 3| is released. Under theseconditions, reciprocation of actuating lever 26 will lower housing 24relative to rod 22.

When selector 30 is rotated clockwise until abutment 32 engages housing24 to limit further movement projection 33 of selector 30 engages spring3| and when actuating lever 26 is lifted vertically, it will pivot aboutpin 34 which engages housing 24 and actuating lever 26. Pawl 35rotatably suspended from pin 34 is in engage.

Spring 3| urges pawl 38 to on face 23 of rod 22. Pawl 36 carries theweight of the vehicle during the above operation. Actuating lever 26 maynow be lowered. Pawl 38., in contact with a serration on face'i23 will.support the Weight and actuating member 26 will rotate about pin 3!lifting pin 34, pawl 35 and housing 24. Spring 3| will urge pawl '35 tothe left and into engagement with a serration on rod 22 above serration36. The actuating lever '26 may then be fulcrumed upward about pin 34and the pawl35'will support the weight as pawl 38 moves into engagementwith a serration higher than that previously engaged by it. Thereciprocation of actuating lever 26 may be repeated until the housing 24and vehicle .have been lifted to the desired .height. 7

Actuating lever 26 is provided with a tubular portion 28 adapted toreceive the handle '21. Handle 27 is used as a lever to permit theoperator to apply a minimum of vertical force. The mechanical advantageis dependent upon'the distance from the pin'being used as a fulcrum tothe. end of handle 21 as compared to the distance between pins 34 and31.

When selector 30 isv rotated out of engagement with spring 3|reciprocation of handle 21 will lower the, jack'housing 24 and vehicle.When selector 30 is disengaged from spring 3|, counterclockwise rotationof actuating lever 26 about pin 34 will leave pawl 35 in load. carryingengagement with a serration on face 23 of rod 22. This counter-clockwiserotation of actuating lever 26 about pin 34 will lift pawl 38 out ofengagement with face 2.3 of rod 22. Downward rotation .of actuatinglever 26 about pin 34 with the cooperation of spring 3| holding pawl. 35substantially stationary relative to actuating lever 26 will direct pawl38 into engagement with a lower'serration on face 23 of rod 22, due tothe horizontal component of motion in the rotation of pin 31 about pin34. Further downward movement of actuating lever 26 will transfer theload from pawl 35 topawl 38 and permit spring. 3| to retract pawl 35from the serrated face 23 of rod Upward motion of actuating lever 26-will 22 rotate this lever about pin 3.! thereby lowering pin 34, pawl 35and housing 24. This motion brings pin I8 downward toward pin I9 andinduces stress in spring 3| which reacts against pin l6 and pawl 35 tourge the. pawl into engagementrwith a serration on the face- 23 of 'rod22'. This, serration is lower. than the serration originally engaged bypawl 35 because of the'downward motion of pin 34 when actuating lever,26 rotates about pin 31. Further upwardv movement of actuating lever 26transfers the fulcrum from pin 31 to pin 34 and lifts pawl 38.0utofengagement with face 23 of rod 22. Handle 27 and actuating lever 26may be reciprocated as often as necessary repeating the above: motionsuntil the housing and vehicle are lowered'asfar as-desired.

In order that thelifting and lowering'of housing 24 described above maybe transmitted to the vehicle I have provided verticalextensi'on or pin40' carried by horizontally extending" arm 25: of jack housing 24.Vertical pin 40; preferably has a circular horizontal cross section,The. shell of the bumper guard l2 and strengthening memher are .providedwith aligned openings which together form an opening at 4| adapted toreceive pin 40. Arm 25 is provided with horizontal surface 42 which isadapted to transmit vertical force to bumper guard l2. Pin 46 preventsbumper guard l2 and vehicle H] from sliding off thejjack. Pin 40iscarried by arm 25. Open- ;inglfl is located to one side of a verticalplane passing through the longitudinal axis of the vehicle so that onewheel may be lifted while the remaining wheels remain in contact withthe ground.

'In Figs. 6 and 7 I have illustrated a modified form of my invention.'Bumper bar II is provided with an opening at 52 adapted to receive anarm 50 of jack 20. Opening 52 laterally offset from thelongitudinal axisof the v'ehicle so that one corner thereof may be lifted. 50.,isprovided with a vertical extension or head 5| adapted to prevent thebumper bar I from slipping off the jack due to motion of the vehicle inthe direction of the said arm. Arm '56 is adapted to engage the sides ofopening 52 to prevent lateral motion of said bar relative to said jack.Although only one opening 52 has been illustrated it is intended thatthe automobile be provided with at least four openings. An opening is to'be provided near each end of both front and rear' bumper bars. Theoperation of the mechanism or the jack illustrated in Fig. 6 is similarto that described for the jack in Figs. 1 and 3.

I claim 2 A bumper guard for a motor vehicle adapted to. be carried byand extend transversely of a horizontal vehicle bumper bar, said'bumperuard comprising a hollow shell provided with a s'u'bstantiallyhorizontal base portion and a strength- REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent: V

UNITED STATES Number Name 7 Date 995,583 Will'our June 20, 19111,325,739 i Lyon Dec. 23,. 1919 1,572,603 Heide Feb. 9", 1926 1,702,027Beaver Feb. 12, 1929 1,747,170 Howell Feb. 18, 1930 2,023,079 Jand'usDec. 3,. 1935 2,060,780 Woodworth Nov. 10,v 1936 2,092,719 Ryerson Sept.7, 1937 2,164,621 lfauser July 4, 1939 2,224,434 Jandus r Dec. 10, 1940v I FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 362,016 Great Britain Oct. 20,1932 474,804 Great Britain Nov. 4, 1937 476.625 Great Britain Dec. 8-,1937 France Sept. 11, 1939

